Does Knoppix comply with the GPL licensing terms?

**dovix** · 06-22-2003, 07:25 PM

This question relates to applications that are included in the Knoppix CD as executables with no source, of applications not written specifically for Knoppix, and that are licensed under the GPL.

My question relates to paragraph 3 of the GPL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html):

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3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)
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According to this, there must be a way to download the complete source code of all the GPL'd applications included in Knoppix. Since Knoppix CD does not come with source code (a), there's no repository of all the sources being used as far as I know of (b) - is there anything that complies with clause (c) above?

**Stephen** · 06-22-2003, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by dovix

According to this, there must be a way to download the complete source code of all the GPL'd applications included in Knoppix. Since Knoppix CD does not come with source code (a), there's no repository of all the sources being used as far as I know of (b) - is there anything that complies with clause (c) above?

It's called the Debian mirrors spread across the world for the source to programs. For the knoppix related scripts they are available on the linuxtag web site or the CD itself.

**aay** · 06-23-2003, 01:30 AM

This has been asked and answered many times. Please check the OFFICIAL Knoppix site: http://www.knoppix.com

Or look at this recent post: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3079#14548

Knoppix is in COMPLETE compliance with the GPL.

**eadz** · 06-23-2003, 01:51 AM

This has been discussed on debian-legal :
http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal...4/threads.html ( scroll down to see the thread )

Knoppix complies with (b) hense the written offer to provide sources included on the CD.

This is becasue the sources for 1 CD is 3 CDs worth of source code and too much for the mirrors. However, All the sourcecode is downloadable from http://www.knopper.net/download/knoppix/ for knoppix-specific stuff, or from the debian mirrors.

**mabhatter** · 06-23-2003, 03:10 AM

Just remember that the whole thing is not 100% GPL but is 100% re-distributable. Not all the apps on the disk have source code available[some are proprietary, but free to distribute...]...this was the cause of much angst for one ot the upcomming special versions.